§ 24. Mr. O'Brienasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what further representations he has received on his consultative documents on the community charge.
§ Mr. ChopeWe have received about 20 representations in response to the document on the community charge.
§ 37. Mr. Matthew Taylorasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of local authority income he estimates will be under central Government control under the proposed community charge scheme.
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§ Mr. ChopeThe assumption in the Green Paper "Paying for Local Government" (Cmnd. 9714) was that the relative shares of income from different sources would be unchanged in the move to the new local finance system. The Green Paper related to 1984–85 when total local authority income from all sources was some £39 billion. Of that total, all forms of Government grants and subsidies accounted for 35.6 per cent. Non-domestic rate income, which under the Green Paper proposals will be determined by statutory formula, accounted for a further 16.5 per cent. The actual balance between sources of income will depend on decisions to be taken by the Government at the time of implementation.
§ 28. Mr. Allen McKayasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received regarding the proposed minimum proportion of rates or community charge to be paid by persons on low incomes.
§ Mr. ChopeI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 March to the hon. Member for Battersea (Mr. Dubs).
§ 41. Mrs. Beckettasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish an analysis of representations received on his proposals for a community charge, showing those organisations in favour and those against.
§ Mr. ChopeI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave today to the hon. Member for Leigh (Mr. Cunliffe).
§ 45. Mr. Corbettasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish updated tables showing the import of the community charge for each local authority and a range of households.
§ Mr. ChopeI have today placed in the Library figures illustrating the possible effect of our community charge and non-domestic rate proposals on all local authorities. These are based on what authorities planned to spend in 1986–87, and make no allowances for authorities which might bring their spending under control, nor for changes in the total of central Government grant or GREs such as will occur in 1987–88. They also depend on assumptions about the way in which the new system will operate where a number of important decisions still remain to be taken.
§ Mr. Strawasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will publish tables in the Official Report showing in respect of each district and borough in England and Wales at what rateable value the estimated community charge will be equal to the domestic rate bill, for one, two and three-adult households, with and without safety nets;
(2) if he will estimate the size of the total safety net provision for England and Wales in the first year of operation of the community charge; how many local authorities will contribute to this provision; how many will receive from it; and which are the top 10 contributors and recipients;
(3) if he will publish in the Official Report tables relating to the impact of the community charge showing for each district and borough in England and Wales (a) the average domestic rate bills for 1986–87, and (b) his estimate of the community charge at a taxpayer level on a comparable 1986–87 basis, for one-adult, two-adult and three-adult households, with safety nets and without safety nets, showing in each case the difference between rate bills and community charges.
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§ Dr. Boyson[pursuant to his reply, 30 March 1987, c. 420]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave today to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Erdington (Mr. Corbett). I have today written to the hon. Member.